7 Steps Of Website Development Process

By Author: AKM
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Contrary to popular belief, the coding process is not the most important aspect of website development and design. Indeed, technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript shape the web and define how we interact with information. However, the stages of preliminary information gathering by web development company Kolkata, detailed planning, and post-launch maintenance are typically hidden behind the scenes while remaining an important part of the web development life cycle.

In this article, we'll look at how the overall website development process might look. The total number of development stages typically ranges from five to eight, but the overall picture remains consistent. Let's go with the average. So here are the seven major steps:

Information Gathering
Planning
Design
Content Writing and Assembly,
Coding
Testing, Review and Launch
Maintenance.

Web app Development Timeline
When you consider building a website, two major concerns come to mind: cost and time. These two values are heavily influenced by the project's size and scope. You can create a website development ...
... timeline to outline the entire development process, adding tasks and establishing milestones for your project. It is the most effective method for tracking project implementation and ensuring that you meet the deadline.

We've prepared a detailed description of the entire web app development process, as well as estimated times for each step and a checklist to ensure you don't overlook anything.

Step 1. Gathering Information: Purpose, Main Goals, and Target Audience
This stage, the discovery and research stage, determines how the subsequent steps will look. At this point, the most important task is to have a clear understanding of your future website's purposes, the main goals you want to achieve, and the target audience you want to attract to your site. A web app development questionnaire of this type aids in the development of the best strategy for future project management.

The look of a news portal differs from that of an entertainment website, and online resources for teenagers differ from those for adults. Different types of websites offer different functionality to visitors, which means that different technologies should be used depending on the purpose. A well-described and detailed plan based on this pre-development data can keep you from spending extra resources on unexpected issues like design changes or adding functionality that wasn't originally planned.
Estimated time: from 1 to 2 weeks

Step 2. Planning: Sitemap and Wireframe Creation
At this stage of the web app development cycle, the developer creates data that allows a customer to judge how the entire site will look.
The sitemap is created on the basis of the information gathered in the previous phase.

The sitemap should describe the relationships between your website's main areas. This type of representation could aid in understanding how usable the final product will be. It can show you the "relationship" between the various pages of a website, allowing you to judge how easy it will be for the end-user to find the required information or service if he starts from the main page. The main reason for creating a sitemap is to create a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate website.

The sitemap describes the internal structure of a website, but it does not describe the user interface. Before you start coding or working on a design, you may need to get approval from a customer that everything looks good so you can move on to the next phase of development. A wireframe or mock-up is created in this case. A wireframe is a visual representation of the user interface that you will design. However, it lacks design elements such as colors, logos, and so on. It only describes the elements that will be added to the page and where they will be placed. The production sketch is artless and cheap.

Another critical step is to choose your technology stack - programming language, frameworks, and CMS.
Estimated time: from 2 to 6 weeks

Step 3. Design: Page Layouts, Review, and Approval Cycle
Your website by website design company Kolkata takes shape during the design phase. At this stage, all visual content, such as images, photos, and videos, is created. Once again, all of the information gathered during the first phase is critical. While creating a design, keep the customer and target audience in mind.

The website layout is the work of a designer. It could be a graphic sketch or a finished graphic design. The layout's primary purpose is to represent the information structure, visualize the content, and demonstrate basic functionality. Colors, logos, and images are included in layouts, which can provide a general understanding of the future product.

Following that, the customer can review the layout and provide feedback to you. If the client is unsure about some aspects of your design, change the layout and resubmit it to him. Repeat this cycle until the customer is completely satisfied.
Estimated time: from 4 to 12 weeks

Step 4. Content Writing and Assembly
Writing and compiling content usually overlaps with other stages of website development, and its importance cannot be overstated. At this stage, you must write down the essence of what you want to communicate to your website's audience and include calls to action. Content writing also entails creating eye-catching headlines, text editing, writing new text, compiling existing text, and other tasks that require time and effort. In most cases, the client agrees to provide website content that is ready to migrate to the site. It is preferable if all website content is provided prior to or during website development.
Estimated time: from 5 to 15 weeks

Step 5. Coding
At this point, you can begin working on the website itself. Graphic elements created during previous stages should be used to create an actual website. Typically, the home page is created first, followed by all sub-pages, in accordance with the website hierarchy, which was previously created in the form of a sitemap. Frameworks and CMS should be used to ensure that the server can handle the installation and setup process smoothly.

All static web page elements created during the mock-up and layout creation process must be created and tested. Then, special features and interactive elements should be included. At this stage, you must have a thorough understanding of each web app development technology that you will employ.

If you're using CMS for site creation, you can also install CMS plugins at this point if necessary. Another critical step is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO is the process of optimizing website elements (such as title, description, and keyword) to help your site rank higher in search engines. And, once again, valid code is critical for SEO.
Estimated time: from 6 to 15 weeks

Step 6. Testing, Review and Launch
Testing is most likely the most routine aspect of a process. Every single link should be tested to ensure that none of them are broken. Check every form, script, and run spell-checking software to look for possible typos. Use code validators to ensure that your code adheres to current web standards. If cross-browser compatibility is important to you, for example, valid code is required.

It's time to upload your website to a server after you've double-checked it. To accomplish this, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software is used. After you've deployed the files, you should run one more final test to ensure that all of your files were properly installed.
Estimated time: from 2 to 4 weeks

Step 7. Maintenance: Opinion Monitoring and Regular Updating
It is critical to remember that a website is more of a service than a product. It is not sufficient to "deliver" a website to a user. You should also ensure that everything works properly and that everyone is satisfied, and you should always be prepared to make changes in the future.

The addition of a feedback system to the site will allow you to detect potential problems that end users may encounter. In this case, the most important task is to solve the problem as soon as possible. If you don't, you might find that your users would rather use another website than put up with the inconvenience.

Another critical aspect is keeping your website up to date. Regular updates to a CMS will protect you from bugs and reduce security risks.
Estimated time: ongoing

Conclusions:
Remember that a website development project does not begin with coding and does not end when your website is finally launched. The preparation stage has an impact on all subsequent stages, determining how productive the development process will be. A thorough understanding of your end-age, user's gender, and interests could be the key to success. The post-launch period is quite lengthy.

Your project should be agile and flexible enough to allow you to change your website based on user feedback or the spirit of the time. Remembering that there is no such thing as an insignificant website development phase will save you from surprises and give you confidence that everything is running smoothly and that you have complete control over the project.

Hopefully, this article has provided you with useful information, and you will be able to easily create your own website.